Seed Production of Winter Cereals – the Basis of National Selection and the Task of Ukrainian Breeding Science in 2022

The strategic importance of grain as a commodity in the domestic market and the main export agricultural commodity determines the relevance of the study. Today, the problem of high-quality seed production in Ukraine has worsened, as insufficient funding for the industry, outdated material and technical base of breeding organisations, scarce royalties and lack of breeding payments threatens the development of Ukrainian seed production. The dynamic development of the industry requires a more active and balanced policy in the industry, which would include state target programmes and the development of the regulatory framework in terms of ensuring legal and transparent intellectual property rights to breeders and breeding institutions. The purpose of the article is to analyse and assess the state of seed production of winter cereals and determine the objectives of Ukrainian breeding science for 2022. The following methods were used in the research process: dialectical, systematic approach, monographic, economic-statistical, tabular, graphical, empirical, comparative analysis, abstract-logical, analytical forecasting. The state of seed production of winter cereals was studied and it was found that in Ukraine there are 583 varieties of wheat, 79 – barley, 55 – rye and 51 – triticale. Only 32% of wheat, 33.3% of triticale, 17.7% of barley and 5.5% of rye are produced. Of these, Ukrainian is only 58.3% for wheat, 47.5% for barley and 15.5% for rye; the average annual need for winter cereals in the regions of Ukraine and in the country as a whole was determined. 1.4-1.6 million tons of wheat, 122 thousand tons of barley, 36 thousand tons of rye and 10 thousand tons of triticale are needed to ensure the sowing of grain in volumes not less than the sown area; tasks for Ukrainian breeding science on the development of winter cereals for 2022 are set, which will contribute to technical and technological support of breeders and seed producers, harmonisation and adaptation of the seed industry of Ukraine to world standards, increase competitiveness and the export potential of Ukrainian seed production.